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☆ Pouria Zeraati: ‘Brutal stabbing’ of exiled Iranian journalist prompts counterterrorism investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A prominent exiled Iranian journalist was stabbed outside his home in London on Friday, prompting British police to launch a counterterrorism investigation. Pouria Zeraati, a television anchor at the UK-based channel Iran International, was reportedly attacked by a group of men outside his home in south-western Wimbledon. Iran has designated the television station a “terrorist entity.” Iranian state media has repeatedly accused the channel of fomenting unrest. Zeraati’s stabbing comes after an investigation by Britain’s ITV last year revealed that Iranian spies had attempted to pay a people smuggler $200,000 to assassinate two Iran International journalists. Kearns noted on Twitter that Iran International had only recently returned to the air from London after having to shut down in the UK.

Persons: Pouria, Dominic Murphy, Britain’s, Alicia Kearns, Michelle Stanistreet, ” Stanistreet, Kearns, ”, CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Atay Alam Organizations: CNN, British, Iran, London Metropolitan Police, Britain’s ITV, Iran International, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Foreign Affairs Committee, British National Union of Journalists, BBC Persian Service, UN, Twitter Locations: Iranian, London, Wimbledon, Tehran, Iran

☆ Syria Blames Israel for Deadly Attack in Aleppo
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the strikes, but it has previously acknowledged carrying out hundreds of assaults on Iran-linked targets in Syria. Friday’s attack was at least the second deadly attack in Syria in less than a week. On Tuesday, airstrikes in eastern Syria killed several people. The Iranian state news media said that Israel was responsible, while the Syrian state news agency attributed it to American forces. The Tuesday strikes killed a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, according to Iranian state news media reports.

Persons: —, SANA, Ali Abdulhassan Naim, Yoav Gallant, “, ”, Firas Makdesi, Saleh al, Bashar al, Assad, al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir V, Putin, Israel, Johnatan Reiss Organizations: Syrian Observatory, Human Rights, —, Lebanese, Hezbollah, Reuters, United Nations, Pentagon, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, World Health Organization Locations: Syrian, Aleppo, Britain, Syria, Lebanese, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria’s, Israeli, Damascus, Beirut, United States, Russia

☆ Iran vote turnout hits historic low amid discontent
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Turnout for Iran's parliamentary election, seen as a test of the clerical establishment's legitimacy, appears to have hit an historic low of around 41%, according to unofficial reports quoted by state media on Saturday. Mohammad Khatami, Iran's first reformist president, was among critics who did not vote on Friday. State news agency IRNA said unofficial reports put turnout at more than 25 million, or about 41% of eligible voters. If the turnout figure is confirmed, it would be the lowest since Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979. Iran's turnout fell to 42.5% in 2020 parliamentary elections from about 62% in 2016.

Persons: Mohammad Khatami, Iran's, Narges Mohammadi, IRNA, Joe Biden, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Hassan Rouhani Organizations: Reuters, Iran's, Experts Locations: Tehran, State, United States, Israel, Ham Mihan

☆ Iran flaunts a new ship-fired missile, but analysts say it's no game-changer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's the first time Iran has launched a ballistic missile from a ship. The launch from the Shahid Mahdavi was, however, the first time Iran launched a ballistic missile from a ship. "The other benefit to Iran of this kind of weapon is it could attack Israel from axes that are less well-protected by Israeli missile defenses." AdvertisementDeploying SRBMs instead of cruise missiles on the Shahid Mahdavi and similar vessels could also have advantages. For one, the ballistic missiles Iran test-fired on Feb. 12 appear relatively small, around the same size as a cruise missile.

Persons: —, Fateh, Shahid Mahdavi, Bryan Clark, Hossein, Shahid, Ryan Bohl, RANE, Clark, Bohl Organizations: Service, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hudson Institute, GCC, Gulf Cooperation, Iran, East Locations: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, North Africa, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Tehran, Idlib, Russia

☆ Opinion | It’s Not Time for Our Troops to Leave the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Kenneth F. Mckenzie Jr. | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States base at Tower 22 in Jordan is in the middle of a seemingly unending desert, astride the ancient Damascus-Baghdad Highway near the border with Syria. Last month three U.S. service members at Tower 22 were killed by a drone launched by an Iranian-backed militia. The Tower 22 attack ended that state of play and sparked fresh questions about the safety of thousands of U.S. military personnel stationed in Jordan, Syria and Iraq as the Middle East conflict widens. Last month, the United States and Iraq started talks that could lead to the withdrawal of U.S. troops. It gives hope to Tehran that it is succeeding in its long-term goal of ejecting the United States from the region through its proxy militias.

Persons: Biden Organizations: United, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, U.S Locations: United States, Jordan, Damascus, Baghdad, Syria, Iranian, Iraq, Washington, U.S, Tehran

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has seized a Boeing 747 cargo plane that officials say was previously sold by a sanctioned Iranian airline to a state-owned Venezuelan firm in violation of American export control laws. The Justice Department said Monday that the American-built plane had arrived in Florida and would be disposed of. The plane was detained in June 2022 by Argentine law enforcement, and U.S. officials moved several weeks later to take possession of it. The Justice Department has identified the registered captain of the plane as an ex-commander for the Revolutionary Guard. Mahan Air has denied any ties to the aircraft, and Venezuela has demanded that Argentine authorities release the plane.

Persons: Mahan, Matthew Olsen, ”, Nicolas Maduro, Regina Garcia Cano Organizations: WASHINGTON, Boeing, Justice Department, Air, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, Officials, Revolutionary Guard, Justice, Argentine, The, Mahan Air, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Iranian, Venezuelan, Florida, United States, Argentine, Argentina, Emtrasur, Moscow, Caracas, Tehran, Venezuela

Washington CNN —A US military strike on Wednesday in Baghdad killed a Kataib Hezbollah commander who was responsible for attacks on American forces in the region, according to US Central Command. A US official said the strike was part of the response President Joe Biden authorized last week in response to the Jordan attack. As of Tuesday, there had been at least 168 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq, Syria and Jordan. In addition to the three soldiers killed in the Jordan attack, three other service members were medically evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. The Iraqi government said the US’ strikes killed at least 16 people, including civilians.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jordan, Biden, –, Sabrina Singh, ”, “, CNN’s MJ Lee, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Washington CNN, US Central Command, Central Command, Command, Local, CNN, White, Iraqi Popular Mobilization, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, Regional Medical Center, Iraq’s, US, United Locations: Baghdad, Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Germany, ”, United States, Anbar Governorate

☆ US needs to signal to Iran it's a possible target so it doesn't get too comfortable, says former top general in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The retired general does not support attacks on Iran, but he says the country should be worried. Retaliatory US strikes have been focused on IRGC and Iran-backed militia targets outside Iran. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "I am not advocating for striking Iran," McKenzie told Margaret Brennan on CBS News' Face the Nation on Sunday. For a time, US responses to the actions of Iran-backed militias were also limited.

Persons: Frank McKenzie, —, McKenzie, Margaret Brennan, Joe Biden, Joseph Votel, Biden Organizations: US Central Command, Service, CBS, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, CBS News Locations: Iran, IRGC, Syria, Iraq, Jordan

☆ Oil prices steady as Fed moves carefully on rate cuts, U.S. pushes for pause in Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices were largely flat Monday as the Federal Reserve moves carefully on interest rates cuts, and the U.S. pushes for an extended pause in the Israel-Hamas War. The West Texas Intermediate contract for March dropped 31 cents, or 0.46%, to trade at $71.95 a barrel Monday morning. Powell's comments came after a much stronger jobs report than expected Friday, with the labor market adding 353,000 jobs compared to 185,000 expected. "With the economy strong like that, we feel like we can approach the question of when to begin to reduce interest rates carefully," Powell told CBS' "60 Minutes." Lower interest rates typically boost economic growth which would imply stronger crude oil demand.

Persons: Brent, Jerome Powell, Powell's, Powell, Antony Blinken, Blinken Organizations: Safeway, Federal Reserve, West Texas Intermediate, Federal, CBS, West Bank, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, U.S, Houthi Locations: Hercules , California, U.S, Israel, Gaza, East, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Iran, Strait, Hormuz, The U.S, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Red

☆ Oil prices steady on Gaza ceasefire talks even as US plans Middle East strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices stabilized in early Asian trading on Monday after sharp falls last week, amid continued attempts to reach a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestinian conflict even as the U.S. planned new strikes on Iran-backed groups. Brent crude futures inched up 8 cents to $77.41 a barrel by 0131 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were flat at $72.28 a barrel. However, investors remained wary of any escalation in the Middle East conflict, after the U.S. signaled further strikes on Iran-backed groups in the Middle East in response to a deadly attack on U.S. troops in Jordan. "Oil markets will likely respond by continuing to discount supply disruption risks in the Middle East," he said in a client note on Monday, adding that would likely keep Brent futures below $80 a barrel. Iran exported between 1.2 million and 1.6 million barrels per day of crude oil through most of 2023, representing 1%-1.5% of global oil supply.

Persons: Vivek Dhar, Brent Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, Commonwealth Bank, U.S . Department of Justice, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Ras Behar, Egypt, Israel, Iran, U.S, Jordan, The U.S, Yemen, China

CNN —US officials said Monday that Iraq was not notified ahead of a series of strikes on Iran-linked targets in the country, contradicting earlier statements that the Iraqi government was notified before the strikes occurred. We informed the Iraqis immediately after the strikes occurred,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a briefing on Monday. “Iraq, like every country in the region, understood that there would be a response after the deaths of our soldiers,” he noted. In a statement to CNN, Kirby said he “responded with information that I had been provided at the time” after the strikes on Friday. “For operational security reasons, we did not provide any kind of official pre-notification with specific details on these strikes,” the spokesperson said.

Persons: Vedant Patel, ”, John Kirby, Kirby, “, Pat Ryder, ” Ryder, we’ll Organizations: CNN, ” State Department, National Security, State Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Pentagon Locations: Iraq, Iran, “ Iraq, Syria, Jordan, United States, Anbar Governorate, Iranian

☆ US Plans More Strikes in Middle East Against Iran-Backed Groups
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to undertake further strikes after the killing of three U.S. troops by Iranian-backed militias last weekend, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday. "We intend to take additional strikes, and additional action, to continue to send a clear message that the United States will respond when our forces are attacked, when our people are killed," he told NBC’s "Meet the Press" program. The United States and Britain launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, in the second day of major U.S. operations against Iran-linked groups following a deadly attack that killed three American troops in Jordan last weekend. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 Images"What happened on Friday was the beginning, not the end, of our response, and there will be more steps - some seen, some perhaps unseen," Sullivan told CBS' "Face the Nation" program. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Louise Heavens and Lisa Shumaker)

Persons: Jake Sullivan, NBC’s, Sullivan, Doina Chiacu, Arshad Mohammed, Louise Heavens, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: WASHINGTON, United, White, National, Press, Britain, Pentagon, U.S, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamas, CBS Locations: United States, Iranian, Yemen, Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Palestinian, Israel, Gaza, Tehran

☆ Yemen's Houthis Vow Response After US, British Strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

The group's military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the U.S. strikes "will not pass without a response and consequences." HOUTHIS SAY WON'T BE DETERREDThe Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. The strategy blends limited military strikes and sanctions, and appears aimed at punishing the Houthis while attempting to limit the risk of a broad Middle East conflict. "We have already successfully targeted launchers and storage sites involved in Houthi attacks, and I am confident that our latest strikes have further degraded the Houthis’ capabilities." The United States said Sunday's strikes had support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Mohammed Ghobari WASHINGTON, Yahya Sarea, Mahjoob Zweiri, Joe Biden, Sarea, Grant Shapps, Sunday's, Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud, Busaidi, Andrew Mills, Tom Perry, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Reuters, Britain, Pentagon, Hamas, Residents, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Gulf Studies, Qatar University, U.S, Republicans, Democrat, U.S . military's Central Command, British Defence, U.S . Central Command, Oman Foreign, Tala Locations: ADEN, United States, Yemen, Iran, Palestinian, Israel, Gaza, Tehran, Houthi, U.S, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Britain, Africa, Egypt, Suez, Red, States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sanaa Governorate, Taiz Governorate, Hodeidah Governorate, Oman, Doha, Dubai

☆ US destroyed or damaged 84 of 85 targets in Iraq and Syria, officials say; no indications of Iranian casualties
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US destroyed or damaged 84 out of 85 targets in its sweeping series of airstrikes on Friday in Syria and Iraq, according to two US defense officials, with no indications of Iranian casualties. All but one of the 85 targets were “destroyed or functionally damaged,” the officials said, citing a preliminary battlefield damage assessment. In Iraq, the US targeted al-Qaim and Akashat near the border with Syria. President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes, far larger than previous US operations in Iraq or Syria, were only the start of the US response. The attack consisted of two rockets launched against the site, with no injuries or damage reported.

Persons: Deir, Douglas Sims, ”, Biden, Sims, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Jake Sullivan, CNN’s Dana, Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Joint Staff, Defense, Union, US Locations: Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Iran, Akashat, al, Gen, “ State

☆ Biden’s balancing act with Iran aims for deterrence, not a wider war
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“I think it is a real strong deterrence,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and Iraq War veteran. It was only about an hour after Biden departed Dover Air Force Base in Delaware that the first US strikes began in Iraq and Syria. Inside the Situation Room, Biden and his team assessed a set of options that each came with a certain degree of risk. And there are clear indications that Iran isn’t looking for a war with the United States — just as Washington insists it isn’t seeking a broader conflict. “There’s been no communications with Iran since the attack that killed our three soldiers in Jordan,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday night.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, won’t, “, ”, Sen, Tammy Duckworth, ” Biden, Mark Esper, Donald Trump’s, ” Esper, he’d, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, United States —, —, haven’t, Biden’s, “ There’s, John Kirby, Beth Sanner, Qasem, ” Sanner Organizations: CNN, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, Illinois Democrat, Iraq, Biden, Dover Air Force Base, US Army Reserve Command, Spc, Breonna, United, White, ” National Security Locations: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Red, Illinois, Jordan, Delaware, United States, Gaza, South Carolina, Tehran, Yemen, Washington, Iranian

☆ U.S. Carrying Out New Strikes in Yemen, US Officials Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Phil Stewart and Idrees AliWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States launched a series of strikes against Iran-linked targets in Yemen on Saturday, three U.S. officials told Reuters, in what appeared to be a second day of retaliatory operations following a deadly attack on American troops last weekend. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details on the locations being struck, but two of them said there were dozens of targets. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 ImagesThe Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. The United States has previously carried out more than 10 strikes against Houthi targets in the past several weeks, but they have failed to stop attacks by the group. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, Idrees Ali, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: United, Reuters, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, U.S Locations: United States, Iran, Yemen, Al, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Yemen's Iran, Red, Israel, Gaza

☆ Opinion: The problem with the US bombing strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Biden administration has also repeatedly said it doesn’t want to go to war with Iran. To tamp down the possibility of a wider regional war, the US needs to focus its efforts on addressing the underlying cause of this roiling conflict: the continued war in Gaza. Previous US strikes have failed to deter Iran and its proxies. It’s possible that US cyber-attacks in Iran could damage key elements of Iranian military command and control structures, but these kinds of attacks can take many weeks to prepare. This article has been updated to reflect the strikes on Houthi targets on Saturday.

Persons: Peter Bergen, Osama bin Laden, Biden, Joe Biden, “, Houthis, Trump, Qasem Soleimani, Let’s, Sayf al, Carl von Clausewitz, Lloyd Austin Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, White House, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, United, Adl, Prussian, Hamas, UNRWA Locations: New America, Iraq, Syria, Iranian, Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Yemen, Baghdad, Iran’s, Afghanistan, Tehran, United Nations, East, Lebanon, Israel

☆ Illicit Iranian programs targeted by sanctions and criminal charges, US says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Michael Conte | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The US announced a number of measures including sanctions and criminal charges targeting a range of malicious Iranian initiatives, including their cyberwarfare and drone programs, as well as Iran’s alleged illegal oil trafficking to fund foreign terrorist organizations. Earlier in the day, the Treasury Department announced sanctions against several Iran- and Hong Kong-based companies for allegedly supporting Iran’s drone program and missile production. The three alleged front companies in Hong Kong and an Iranian subsidiary allegedly obtained components, such as engines and carburetors, for Iran’s drone program. Treasury also announced sanctions targeting the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber–Electronic Command and five other senior officials for alleged cyberattacks against critical infrastructure in the US and other countries. That’s a reference to a series of hacks that defaced computers at multiple water utilities in the US in November.

Persons: Biden, ”, General Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, Brian Nelson, Matthew Miller, That’s, ” John Hultquist, Mandiant, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz Organizations: Washington CNN, US, Justice Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Department, DOJ, FBI, Treasury Department, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial, Command, Google, CNN, Boston Children’s Hospital Locations: Iran, Jordan, Omani, ”, Washington ,, United States, Hong Kong, Iranian, Israel, Boston, Tehran

Attacks The map shows five of the seven sites that the U.S. hit with military strikes in Syria and Iraq. The strikes hit more than 85 targets at different locations using more than 125 precision-guided munitions, according to a statement by U.S. Central Command. Two American officials said the United States also conducted cyberoperations against Iranian targets on Friday but declined to provide details. It is clear from statements from the White House, and from Tehran, that neither the United States nor Iran wants a wider war. Striking sites in the Mideast with aircraft launched from the United States and refueled midair is a muscular show of global reach and capability, the official said.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s, Mr, “, ”, John F, Kirby, Douglas, Sims, Yahya Rasool, That’s, Iran’s, Jordan, Roger Wicker of, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, Moffett, Sanders, Sergeant Rivers Organizations: Iranian, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, U.S . Central Command, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, ”, Jordan . Middle, Revolutionary Guards, National Security Council, White House, Central Command, White, Pentagon, Dyess Air Force Base, U.S, military’s Joint Staff, Air Force, Iraq’s Armed Forces, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, Revolutionary Guards Corps, Administration, Capitol, Biden, Republican, Armed Services Committee, Dover Air Force Base, Army Reserve Locations: United States, Syria, Iraq, East, Jordan, Iran, U.S, Jordan ., Tehran, Texas, Yemen, Israel, Gen, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Delaware

☆ U.S. Hits Back at Iran With More Than Just Airstrikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Eileen Sullivan | David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the hours before the United States carried out strikes against Iran-backed militants on Friday, Washington hit Tehran with more familiar weapons: sanctions and criminal charges. The Biden administration sanctioned officers and officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran’s premier military force, for threatening the integrity of water utilities and for helping manufacture Iranian drones. And it unsealed charges against nine people for selling oil to finance the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. The timing seemed designed to pressure the Revolutionary Guards and its most elite unit, the Quds Force, at a moment of extraordinary tension in the Middle East. In the 15 years since the United States mounted a major cyberattack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the country has trained a generation of hackers and struck back at Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States, among others.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Revolutionary Guards, Quds Force Locations: United States, Iran, Washington, Tehran, Israel, Saudi Arabia

☆ The U.S. Conducted Retaliatory Strikes in Iraq and Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

American forces today carried out a series of military strikes against Iranian forces and the militias that they back in half a dozen sites in Syria and Iraq. The assaults, targeting command centers, weapons facilities and bunkers used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force and affiliated militia groups, made good on President Biden’s promise to respond to a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday that killed three American soldiers and injured at least 40 more service members. We have live updates. The U.S. military is seeking to use the strikes to send a message to Iran and its allied militias that continued attacks on U.S. troops in the region, and international ships in the Red Sea, will draw a response. Still, the Biden administration says it does not want the proxy war underway with Iran to become more significant than it already is.

Persons: Biden’s, Biden Organizations: Iranian, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force Locations: Syria, Iraq, Jordan, U.S, Iran, Red

☆ US forces hammered dozens of IRGC and Iran-backed militia targets with 125 bombs in retaliation for the drone attack that killed American troops
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The military action comes days after a drone attack killed US troops in Jordan. AdvertisementThe US military on Friday began strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, a US defense official told Business Insider. AdvertisementThe White House immediately blamed Iran-backed militias for the deadly incident and vowed revenge. The recent drone attack could have been an attempt to undermine the US hold in eastern Syria and to open arms smuggling routes through Jordan to the West Bank. AdvertisementSome US lawmakers have called for the Biden administration to take aggressive military action in retaliation for the Jan. 28 drone attack, including conducting strikes inside Iran itself.

Persons: —, CENTCOM, Joe Biden, Defense Lloyd Austin, Washington, John Kirby, they're, Biden Organizations: Service, Business, US Central Command, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Quds Force, US, Coalition, Pentagon, Defense, National Security, Institute for, West Bank Locations: Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, United States, Tehran, East, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Hamas

☆ US sees signs Iran is worried about escalating proxy attacks amid heightened tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Officials cautioned that there is no sense that Tehran’s growing wariness is likely to change its broader strategy of supporting proxy attacks on US and Western targets — although it could signal adjustments around the margins. But officials do believe that Iran is pursuing a calibrated approach to the conflict that is designed to avoid sparking all-out war. But some current and former US officials are skeptical that Iran will substantively change its tactics. ‘Varying degress of loyalty’The escalations also underscore the varying degrees of control that Iran actually has over its proxy groups. Among the groups, Iran has the least amount of operational control over the Houthis in Yemen, multiple officials told CNN.

Persons: Biden, Bill Burns, Norm Roule, Roule, “, Fadel, Ahmad Al, Jonathan Lord, ”, ” Lord, Israel “, Hossein, Mohammed Hamoud, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Iran ”, we’re Organizations: Militant, Iranian, CNN, White, CIA, Foreign Affairs, Getty, Middle East Security, Center, New, US Navy, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Anadolu Agency, Command, UN, Chinese Foreign, White House Locations: Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, United States, Tehran, China, India, Gaza, Europe, Baghdad, AFP, New American, Israel, Africa, Beijing, Bani, Sanaa, Red, Somalia, Bangkok, “ Beijing

☆ US Charges Chinese Nationals With Smuggling US-Made Electronics to Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. authorities have charged four Chinese nationals with crimes related to the smuggling of U.S.-made electronic components, including some with possible military use, to Iran, the Justice Department said on Wednesday. The Chinese nationals are accused of moving U.S. export-controlled items through China and Hong Kong to sanctioned entities affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its defense ministry, the department said in a statement. The alleged scheme resulted in the export of a "vast amount" of dual-use U.S.-origin commodities with military capabilities from the United States to Iran, the Justice Department said. "Such efforts to unlawfully obtain U.S. technology directly threaten our national security, and we will use every tool at our disposal to sever the illicit supply chains that fuel the Iranian regime's malign activity," Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department's national security division said in the statement. The U.S. has issued arrest warrants for the accused, who all remain fugitives, according to the statement.

Persons: Matthew Olsen, Ismail Shakil, Rami Ayyub, Bill Berkrot Organizations: WASHINGTON, Justice, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Justice Department, Justice Department's Locations: U.S, Iran, China, Hong Kong, United States

☆ Biden has to deal with a second war he didn’t want. His task is to contain it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

— Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian group based in Lebanon, has been waging a low-grade war against Israel. — Iran has blamed Israel for an attack that killed a number of Revolutionary Guard officers in Damascus, Syria. Hawkish Republicans like South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham are demanding he attack Iran on Iranian soil. “The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran’s terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East. And on a purely strategic level, risking a major Middle East war that could cause massive US casualties to avenge the deaths of three soldiers, as terrible as their deaths are, would not represent a sound equation.

Persons: they're, Joe Biden —, Jordan Sunday –, Biden, haven’t, —, Israel, it’s, Antony Blinken, ” Aaron David Miller, CNN’s Jim Acosta, “, ”, William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Breonna Moffett, South Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley, Biden’s, Donald Trump, Jim Himes, what’s, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Blinken, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Joe Biden, Arkansas Sen, Tom Cotton, Haley, Qasem Soleimani, Trump, John Kirby, It’s Biden Organizations: Republicans, White House CNN, Jordan Sunday, Hezbollah, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Britain, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Revolutionary Guard, ”, GOP, Rep, Intelligence, Islamic, United Nations, –, Iran Locations: Washington, Tehran, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, United States, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, —, Syria, Baghdad, Beirut, Lebanon –, Damascus, East, South Carolina, Connecticut, Hamas, Qatar, Egypt, Islamic Republic, Arkansas, There’s

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